Bit of a strange one... My mum's got a 53 plate 1.8 tdci focus. If you use the car but it doesn't get warm (journey of 0.5 miles, stalling it pulling off drive etc), the car will not start again. It will turn over and over and sound like its trying to catch but will not start at all. If you return to it some time later it will (usually) start. It normally starts ok but its just when its been started and turned off without getting warm. Car is regularly serviced and recently had new plugs but hasn't made a difference. Any help/advice will be appreciated.

 

Could it be the starter or the battery ? On those model TDCI's if the engine isn't spun over at 750rpm the injectors won't fire. When the sarter was packing up on mine it sounded as though the battery was going flat and while it was turning it sounded like the engine was gonna drop but thankfully a new starter and an ECU update solved the problem !

 

the starter motor sounds fine and doesn't sound like its going flat at all. You can keep turning it over for a while and it won't start to sound like the battery is dieing so don't think its that.

 

Really struggling on this now. Car is with our local garage who we normally use and they are struggling to find the fault but car will still no start! No faults showing on diagnostic test, and tried loads of other things. They are now looking at the injectors...

 

I had a problem with starting which resulated in a tired Battery. It seemed fine to me but on these engines the turning has to be very fast. You will noticed the difference. Another thing of the car running and sundenly stalling can be the cam sensor which failed as well on mine and made the same thing. When a battery is tired the electronics starts to fail as well. But I suggest that you take the car to some one that can test it with an OBD and can see where the foult is.

 

Battery been on charge and didn't make a difference so it's not that. It's been on a diagnostic machine at the local ford dealer and is not bringing up any fault codes. Cam sensor is also something they have changed but it hasn't cured it!